Safety appliance for elevators



March 30,1937. E. s. KAYLOR SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR ELEVATORS Filed March 21, 1935 v gwwmto'o vl vfll aflllll/l/l Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNEE " oFFIcE 3 Claims.

This invention pertains to safety appliances for freight and passenger elevators. More particularly the invention has to do with appliances that act both to prevent the door of the elevator-shaft being opened when the elevator-cab is in a location other than at said door, and to prevent the elevator-cab being mobilized while at said door at the time said door is open for receiving or discharging freight or passengers.

An object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple construction in a safety device by which to positively prevent an elevator-shaft door being opened when the elevator-cab is not present at said door, and to prevent the operation of said cab when present at the door when said door is in open position.

Another object is to provide a simple, well appointed unit at each of the floors of a building served by an elevator-cab by which the electric current used for operating said cab may be controlled and by means of which each of the several doors is under perfect control.

Further, invention lies in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts of the unit whereby positive action is assured.

The appended drawing is provided for the purpose of making the construction and operation of my improved unit fully understood, and Wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the unit of my invention produced on a scale approximately twothirds full size, together with part of a shaft-door adapted to have vertical travel.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same unit and door, together with part of an elevator-cab and part of a shoe carried thereby.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of a door-locking fork shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section, taken transversely, of part of the unit and a portion of the mechanism therein produced on line t-fi of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the door-locking fork of Figure 1 of a form for use with a door movable in a horizontal line.

In the figures, i designates part of a wall of a so-called elevator-shaft, 2 part of a shaft-door, and 3 a part of an elevator-cab having a shoe 4 mounted thereon.

The device of my invention comprises a casing 5 attached in suitable manner to the wall I, and having a vertical position, one of such casings being stationed at or near each floor, not shown, of the building to be equipped therewith.

Extending from the rear wall 5 of said casing is a stud 6, for example, Figure 2, whereon is mounted in suitable manner what I shall term a door-locking fork 'l to be more particularly described presently. Journaled in a side wall of the casing 5 is one end of an arm 8 carrying at its free end a roller 8. At the journaled end of 1 said arm is a shaft extension 9 whose extremity may be journaled in a lug I0 extending from the wall 5, the whole giving stability to the said arm 3 in the swinging movement of which it partakes in use, it being understood, however, that this is merely a preferred manner of mounting the said arm.

Extending laterally from the shaft 9 is a latchmember or arm 5 i adapted to rock with the said arm 8 and adapted to abut the inner or rear side of the fork 1 near its edge, see Figure 1, it being noted that the said latch-member or arm has an extremity H to rest against the latter,-and that it also has an abutment I i I The said fork i in Figure 1 is designed to be operated by the door 2 which in this instance may be considered a freight-elevator door adapted for vertical travel, it being observed that the fork has a notch l to receive into it a roller 2' of the door and includes an arm 1 to lie in the path of said roller in the descending travel of said door, the edge of the fork having the notch and arm extending from the casing 5 into the path of travel of the said roller 2. The fork at its opposite edge on its rear side is provided with a series of teeth 1 for a purpose to appear, and its edge distant from the teeth has an extender ear '5 and an abutment l Rearward of the fork is a lever it, which may be termed a switch-lever, the same being pivoted between its ends at 53 upon the wall 5', for example, one end adapted to abut a rib i on the rear side of said fork, and also to abut a lug 5 of the casing. The other end of the lever carries an old and well known capsule it containing mercury l5 adapted in the swing of said capsule to opposite positions to provide. a make-and-break for the terminals of current conducting wires I6 leading to the power motor, not shown, that is used to operate the elevator-cab. While I have illustrated the capsule in this particular instance as the current control means it is to be understood that the lever may operate any other switch arrangement.

The continuous lines in Figure 1 show the lowered or closed position of the door 2, the ear I abutting an arm I2 of the lever l2. In this position, also, the arm 8 which extends upward from its place of support lies in the position shown in continuous lines in Figure 2, being moved to and maintained in such position by the forceof gravity, and extending into the elevator shaft.

In this said position the arm ll of the shaft 9 the door 2.

the fork abuts the lever 12 in the position of the lies in the position shown in broken lines in Figure 4, an abutment of the fork, i. e., its edge, lying upon the abutment H said fork being thus prevented from moving in any attempt to raise In this position, also, the rib l of latter in which the terminals of the conductors l6 are immersed in and thus connected electrically by the mercury [5.7 Since the lever 12 and the rib are in abutment and the arm I2 of said lever may abut the portion 'l of the fork, said lever is held fixed in position.

-When the elevator-cab 3, Figure 2, nears a I floorthe shoe 4 thereof engages the roller .8 .of

the arm 8 and moves the latter to the substan 'tially upright position shown in broken lines. in

that figure, the arm' ll of the shaft 9 being carried out of the path of travel of the fork and permitting the latter to turn on its support as the door is raised. During this action of the fork the 'rib' IYthereof shifts the lever l2 to swing .the capsule to'the opposite position shown in broken lines thus breaking the circuit at the terminals of the conductors It, and the lever may be held fixed between said rib and the described lug 5? on V the casing v5, see Figure l, or it may be otherwise held.

When the door is lowered the fork I is returned to take up its original position, the edge thereof at the abutment 1 giving an initial movement to the lever l2 by striking the extremity of the arm 12' followed by the ear 1 meeting said Intheevent that the fork may not quite reach the position shown incontinuous lines one of the seriesof teeth l (Figure 4) in meeting the abutme'nt il will prevent the door being raised after the elevator- -c'ab has left the landing or floor and the shoe 4 has released the arm 8 permitting it to swing forward into the shaft-opening. In this way although the door may not be entirely closed it cannot be opened without bringing the elevator-cab to landing position. And although this condition may exist the rib 1 has already swung the lever l2 to position to close the circuit through the conductors I6. I

In Figure 5 the fork takes a slightly different formin :that the notch 1- and arm 1 lie below the place-of pivotal support of the said fork instead of at the right thereof as in Figure 1. In this form the door 2 may have a horizontal line of travel instead of a vertical one. Naturally, by mounting'the casing so that it liesin a horizontal plane the fork thereof may be operated by a swinging type of door.

In my device the fork I directly engages the locking structure of theswinging arm 8 as well as the arm l2 of the switch mechanism, there being no intervening parts which might tend to cause trouble during operation. The device is therefore quite simple in its appointments and thoroughly the door 2.

'added safety measure.

door 2 has been opened, leaving the fork in the, j

'closed. And in connection with the further prop er controlof the electric circuit I provide, further, for an automatic control of the said fork I as an That is to say, after the raised position shown in the upper set of broken lines in Figure 1 to cause the breaking of the circuit through the tipping of the capsule l4,

means is provided'for holding the forkin that position elastically to the end that should a mischievous person return the fork to its normal position shown in Figure 1 by the lower series of broken lines, in which position the circuit will be closed, said" fork will be instantly and automatically returned to the circuit-breaking position. In both Figures 1 and 3 a coil spring H, in this instance, surrounds the hub of the fork, one end engaging a rib N3 of the latter, its other end, in turn, engaging over a lug l9, Figure 1, extending from the rear wall 5 of the casing 5. The spring is normally under tension and is placed under greater tension when the fork is moved to the door-locking position. Therefore, it is .clear that said fork cannot remain in the latter position except when there held by the door. By the means described, or its .equivalent,.not only is it impossible to move the elevator-cab by design, but the fork will always be in proper position to receive the roller 2 of the .door when the latter is moved toward its closed position.

I claim: I 1. In a device of the nature described, the combination with a door, and a. support including an arm .swingably mounted thereon, of a second arm swing'able with the first said arm, a fork mounted adjacent. the second arm and movable relative to it, "said fork being operated by said door in its opening and closing movements, a lever pivotallymounted adjacent the fork, the said lever and fork each having portions adapted to engage in either direction of the movement of the said fork for swingingthe lever to. two different positions, conductors as parts of an electric circuit, and means influenced .by the lever in its movements for closing and opening an electric circuit through said conductors.

2. Ina device of the nature described, the combination with a door, and a support, of a fork mounted on the support adapted to swing in opposite directions by engagement therewith of said door, and a lever pivotally mounted between its ends adjacent the fork, .parts of said fork adapted to engage the lever at opposite sides of the pivotof the same, said parts lying in spaced positions whereby said'lever will be swung toone extreme position in one .direction of movement of the fork and swung to an opposite position in the other directionof movement of said fork.

3. In a device of the nature described, thecombination with a (door, anda' support having an arm pivotally mounted thereon, of a fork mounted to swing adjacent the arm and operated by said door, said arm normally lying in the path of movement of said fork, the latter'in one position adapted to abut thesame, a switch-lever pivotally mounted adjacent the fork and adapted V to have two extreme positions, said fork including side of its pivot in another position of such fork,

the two said parts of the latter adapted-to sep- ERNEST s. KAYJLDR- a part to engage the lever at one side andalso; 1 including apartto engage the lever at theother 

